GREENSBORO, N.C. – The McKendree University men's swimming and diving team took home two National Runner-up finishes here Friday evening on the third day of the 2022 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships being held here at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
 
On Friday, the Bearcats competed in five of the six finals events that were held and they scored a total of 75 points on the day to push their three day total to 236 points, which is still fourth on the team standings.
 
The Bearcats first national runner-up finish came in the third of five finals of the evening as freshman Jackson Lustig (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) took home a silver medal to earn All-America honors in the event with a school record time of 1:43.66. The time of 1:43.66 bettered the old school record time of 1:44.46 set by Lustig at this year's Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships.
 
In addition to Lustig, the Bearcats also had senior Noah Javens (West Lafayette, Ind./William Henry Harrison) score in the 200 butterfly as he swam a time of 1:49.25 to finish in 16th place and earn Honorable Mention All-American honors.
 
McKendree's second national runner-up finish on Friday came in the 800 freestyle relay as the Bearcats' foursome of graduate student Xander Skinner (Namibia, Africa/Windhoek Afrikaans Private School), freshman Alireza Yavari (Isfahan, Iran/Shayestegan), freshman Leo Gandaria-Hernandez (Milwaukee, Wis./Greenfield) and freshman Arthur Souza (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Colegio Saber) recorded a school record time of 6:28.82 in earning the Bearcats' third national runner-up finish at this year's championship meet. The time of 6:28.82 bettered the old 800 freestyle relay record time of 6:30.66 set at the 2022 GLVC Championships.
 
The Bearcats began Friday's finals session with a ninth place finish in the 100 backstroke by junior DaVante Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/Queens College). Carey recorded a school record time of 46.79 in the event to finish in ninth place and earn Honorable Mention All-American honors. Carey earned nine points with his first place (ninth overall) finish in the consolation final.
 
Sophomore Filipe Pinheiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Colegio Ao Cubo) was the next Bearcat to score as he placed 10th overall and second in the consolation final of the 100 breaststroke. Pinheiro, who scored seven points with his finish, recorded a time of 53.51 in the event to earn Honorable Mention All-American honors.
 
The final event that McKendree scored in was 3-meter diving as senior Ethan Larson (Anchorage, Alaska/PAIDAIE Cooperative School) took home a 10th place finish with a score of 443.75 and that 10th place finish is Larson's best in diving at the NCAA Championships. Larson scored seven points with his 10th place finish.
 
The only event McKendree did not have a swimmer compete in was the opening event of Friday's finals, the 500 freestyle.
 
At the NCAA National Championship Meet, the top eight swimmers in each individual event earn First Team All-American honors, while places 9-16 receive Honorable Mention All-American accolades. 
 
In Saturday's fourth day of the four-day championship meet, the Bearcats will compete in three of the four preliminary events on Saturday morning as senior Gregg Lichinsky (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley), freshman Emilio Perez (Milwaukee, Wis./Greenfield) and Skinner in the 100 freestyle, while Carey and freshman Patryk Rozenek (Radlin, Poland/Zsoms Raciborz) in the 200 backstroke and Pinheiro in the 200 breaststroke. In Saturday's finals, the Bearcats will also have their 400 freestyle relay team look to win a national title.